


Not generally a compliment

by Hllangel



Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-03
Updated: 2011-09-03
Packaged: 2017-10-23 09:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hllangel/pseuds/Hllangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you know what you're looking for, Neal Caffrey is a terrible liar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not generally a compliment

"He's planning something, isn't he?" El asks.

"When is he not planning something?" Peter closes the file he's reading and rubs his temples. "It's what he does."

El can't dispute that. For as long as she's known Neal there's always been something going on. "You know, for a con man, he's remarkably bad at keeping secrets."

"Keeping them from other people, maybe," Peter says. "He's pretty easy to read if you know where to look."

El gives him a quick hug and kiss before taking the file away and replacing it with dinner and a fresh beer.

He's forgotten all about the conversation when he gets a call at work from his alarm company, saying that someone has been in the house. Neal's not in the office, but it can't be him, because Neal has a key and knows the code for their alarm. Not that he needs it, anyway.

Diana's pushing him out the door before he really knows what's happening, and when he gets home he finds El talking to the security guards that have been dispatched to check up on their house.

"Nothing's missing," she says, several more times. "No I don't need to give a statement. It was probably a mistake. The door was locked when I got home."

She winks at Peter, who uses his badge to push past the guards at the door who are looking like they'd rather be doing anything else.

Peter gets what she's trying to get them out as soon as he walks in and sees the new framed photo sitting on the counter. It's the three of them, him, El and Neal out to dinner a few weeks ago, knees knocking under the tiny tables, Peter whispering something in Neal's ear, El's head thrown back, laughing over some joke that he can't remember now.

One of the photos hanging above the stairs catches his eye - it's crooked. He follows a hunch and goes upstairs to find Neal sitting on the bed flipping through his book.

"You couldn't have called?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

Peter leans against the door. "El won't be happy that you got Mozzie to follow us."

"I didn't commission him. He saw us and took the picture on his own."

"So he's following you," Peter frowns.

Neal snorts. "Like you don't."

"Not anymore," Peter says. He can't. The anklet's gone.

Neal is frowning when El comes in.

"Peter, what did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Peter protests.

"Because Neal made a really sweet gesture and now you're standing here frowning at each other. Apologize, now. I have to go back to work for a meeting at four, and I'd hate for this to be a wasted trip home."

Peter can't help but laugh at how Neal's face lights up when she says that. He crosses over to Neal and drops his hands to Neal's hips.

"You are a terrible con."

The second part of the sentence, _when you don't need to be_ goes unsaid.


End file.
